


The Gray Place Between Asleep and Awake

by Not So (Silberias)



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, I fixed having BC as 'Khan', it's fab, read it dangit, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-05 13:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1820410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silberias/pseuds/Not%20So
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Certain names and titles held safety in this new century he found himself awake in, but there are only two creatures whose names and titles he gives a damn about. His still sleeping leader and his new lover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gray Place Between Asleep and Awake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MizJoely](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizJoely/gifts).



> I've got absolutely no idea why I'm able to write a spot of (modified) Khanolly but I am. I dedicate this story to all Khanolly shippers near and far!

The identity Admiral Marcus’ people had crafted had been a fairly well-thought out one, if a little rushed. No more rushed, really, than his own pseudonym—taken hastily from his leader so as to protect him. His Khan still slept peacefully in his cryotube while Auguste labored to mislead Starfleet from ever discovering the names of the Botany Bay’s crew. In the end the names Harrison and Singh stood up well enough to casual scrutiny.

Part of his duties as solidifying his cover as Harrison was to assimilate into life as a Starfleet officer and live as _sapiens sapiens_ day in and day out. No running twice as fast as his counterparts, no risky behaviors where his super-healing or endurance might come to light, and understand that his every move at Starfleet was documented. The very last thing asked of him was to form relationships with the people around him and at first Auguste had been at a loss—he had always been a member of the Khan’s household, never interacting with those not meant to be there.

In addition to his own shyness, what little remained of his people’s history meant that it was known that Khan Noonien Singh was extroverted with all and popular with women. Auguste could not afford to flounder, and so he started to pursue superficial friendships as well as pursue women on occasion. Many of these efforts frustrated him to no end despite the vaguely approving words he was offered at his monthly reviews.

It grated deeply to be questioned so often in his work—he had been an independent researcher in Beijing, developing weapons and dabbling in genetics so as to improve the lives of future generations of _sapiens augmenti_. His knowledge had been offered up willingly and accepted gratefully and it was alarming how his progress—massive, even he knew—was dismissed and taken for granted. He had begun to ache for the day when Khan awoke from his deep slumber.

Khan would set all of these puny power-plays to rights. Humans were not made to rule and obey—but his people had been expressly created to bring order to humanity. To cease their wars with such displays of power and cunning so as to stun humans into submission and obedience and to live their lives in quiet peace. Auguste reminded himself daily that he was one of the chosen few to in effect time-travel, and though his work was largely thankless he knew that great rewards awaited him should he succeed. He missed his family—his brothers and sisters of his _augmenti_ generation, his aunts and uncles from Khan’s generation. The warmth of Khan’s hand upon his shoulder that of a father’s tenderness.

Auguste wished more than anything to once again feel that tender strength, and this was perhaps why he latched on to the kindness given him by another Starfleet researcher (disbelieving of it himself at first but gradually accepting it). She had quietly praised his work when he left it out at his workstation for a few minutes during a short break—he did not worry about anyone copying his notes, anyone who wanted to bring Admiral Marcus’ eye on themselves was more than welcome to such attention.

He had returned from his small meal and found her perched at the edge of his chair—her fingertips gentle as butterflies as she held the notebook up. He had been told his work was so classified he had to keep all of his work on paper so that if there was a computer break-in the research would remain unknown. Auguste of course knew that this was because of the nature of his own presence, but it was a pretty lie.

The woman’s nails were short and well kept, and her brown eyes were wide and bright as they scanned the page greedily. No wrinkles of confusion marred her brow as she read the equations and glanced at the design drawings—and his damned biology had him apologizing in earnest when he startled her with his presence. Her hesitant smile knocked the breath out of him and Auguste knew that he had found a woman with whom he might make a life.

Her name was Molly Hooper, and Auguste’s secret mission to save his family became even more important. Khan would know how to synthesize a gene-therapy to convert Molly into a woman more Augment than human. It wasn’t unknown to take an unaugmented lover. A little foolish on the part of the Augment involved, but no shame was ever heaped on the human. It was seen as right for humans to love and admire their Augmented betters.

For the next seven months he courted her and loved her and knew her every idiosyncrasy. It was a force of will to make love to her gently, to keep her skin unblemished and her eyes bright, but he was rewarded amply when he broke into her flat in the middle of the night claiming she was in great danger. Auguste had not been lying, knowing that his fruitful betrayal of Starfleet meant she would be targeted in hopes of reining him back under their control. His kind were not immune to love, in fact love was the weakness the early Federation had preyed on three hundred years before.

Molly Hooper packed a small duffle and fitted her small into his easily. He beamed her directly into the suite of rooms he’d installed into the _Vengeance_ months ago. The rooms were invisible in every way to the mainframe, operating on their own generators and not connected to the life-support systems of the rest of the ship. His lips stung from their parting kiss and he dearly hoped that his plans went accordingly because if she perished he would tear apart her destroyers with his bare hands.

Days later he had finally gotten himself to an unmapped zone and he sat in the captain’s chair contemplating his next move. Two roads stretched out before him—one where he began the decryo process on his father and the rest of his family. Auguste’s second road was going to Molly and explaining everything to her before he woke his people. In the end, staring out at the harsh stars and inky blackness, he decided to choose Molly first. His father’s wrath against humanity would keep another few hours, frozen at its apex as it was.

“Computer, transport me to sector HAA1,” he murmured, rubbing his lip worriedly with one finger as the golden light of the transporter swirled around him. Molly’s capsule was deep within the ship, far from any possible damage. She would be angry with him for the long days in the ‘safehouse’ he’d said he was sending her to. He wondered if she would know they were in space or if she would be angry with him for that as well.

It was better they hash out their inevitable disagreement on their own, or his family might think he abducted her at random. They would not take her from him, but they would let their disapproval be known. Humans were hapless and helpless against the rational and capable Augments, and Augments of Khan’s people were not to abuse their superiority to their peaceful subjects. Molly was undoubtedly among the peaceful.

“John?”

The room was stark white as the gold of the transporter faded. No time to direct any decorations, only time to load a vid-library and a few articles of clothing and a simple replicator. Molly had been dozing on the bed, curled up on her side. Auguste stepped silently over to her, kneeling as he came near the bed. She was the one he loved and he had saved her. Admiral Marcus’ treatment of his own daughter had been evidence enough of what he would have done to Molly if she’d been left on Earth. Better she come with him, even hate him, and live.

“Molly,” he took her hand, dwarfing hers as he clasped his fingers together, “Molly are you alright?”

“I am,” she murmured, sleep still in her voice, “what is the matter? Is everything okay now?”

“Everything is nearly perfectly safe now, my love,” he kissed her fingertips then, knowing she would slap him soon. She would understand, though, that he had chosen her out of so many and that he had chosen her future elevation as his reward for his service to Khan. Of all that he could ask for, a better life for the one he loved was reward enough.

“Nearly?”

“We’ve escaped my enemies, and will travel until we find somewhere safe to land and live.” She giggled, trying to pull him up on the bed with her, mumbling something about running away to a desolate island in the pacific until Auguste shook his head.

“Molly, let me tell you a story about long ago—let me tell you about a man named Khan.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you ask me (and I know you didn't), having 'Khan' actually be a subordinate to Khan makes a shitton more sense. Marcus' people might not have known who as who, just woke someone up and asked them who they were. Khan from TOS & ST2 acts in manners that will allow his people to escape or at least take revenge. Khan from STID acts in ways that aren't fully thought out, in ways that if they succeed they still need a follow-up gameplan. 
> 
> What better way to explain this lacking in the movie than by having 'Khan' actually be someone else entirely? That his man dubbed John Harrison by Marcus and dubbed Khan by his own admission is in fact an underling doing his best to protect his people and his beloved leader???
> 
> It also leaves room to make a future Star Trek movie featuring the REAL Khan, which would be an excellent twist I think.


End file.
